Shaquille O’Neal (R) and son Myles O’Neal (L).Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic; Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty
Shaquille O’Nealand his son Myles have formed a special bond through their respective DJing careers, the NBA legend tells PEOPLE.
The self-proclaimed “Dubstep Dad,” Shaquille, 51, says Myles, 26, helps put together the live sets for his onstage alter-ego, DJ Diesel. “We always trade songs,” says Shaquille. “We’ve been practicing together.”
The father of six even recalls introducing Myles to the art. “I remember when I just bought him his first DJ set. He’d be in a room, and I try to let my kids do everything on their own, so he’d come in, and I’d say, ‘Figure it out,’ and he’d come back with it figured out.”
Myles is an excellent DJ, his father says. “I’ve seen him perform many times and he’s really good. I’m actually jealous, he’s really good,” says Shaquille ahead of his foundation’s third annual fundraising gala, The Event.
Shaquille O’Neal performs as DJ Diesel at The SHAQ Bowl.Gerardo Mora/Getty
Gerardo Mora/Getty
The former NBA star says his son “has something I’ve never had.”
Laughing, Shaquille says, “He has that DJ hair. I don’t have the DJ hair.”
Despite his hair envy, Shaquille says, “I’m super proud of him because he did it the same way I did it.”
Myles O’Neal attends the BACARDI x Stadium Goods Kick Off Summer Festival Season With Caribbean Speakeasy Pop-Up on June 07, 2023.Craig Barritt/Getty
Craig Barritt/Getty
The four-time NBA champ explains that early in his DJ career, “they’d put me in the celebrity DJ pool, and I had to do a lot of the celebrity stuff.”
Eventually, Lollapalooza gave Shaquille his “first shot” at a real set, “and everybody knew that I knew what I was doing,” he says. “I was like, “I’m not a celebrity DJ, I’m a real DJ.”
Most recently, Shaquille performed as his DJ Diesel persona at Lollapalooza in Chicago, and Myles played a set at the HARD Festival in Las Vegas, where The Event’s 2023 gala will happen on Oct. 7.
The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation hosts third annual fundraising gala The Event.The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation
The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation
Shaquille says the evening will be “a great time” for attendees, and he’s especially excited to see Hudson, 41, perform.
“I love Jennifer Hudson, oh my god,” he tells PEOPLE. “She’s perfect. Voice, attitude, style. I watch her shows and she’s perfect. So Jennifer Hudson, if you’re out there, Shaq loves you.”
To date, The Event has raised more than $6 million, providing key support for the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County, the construction of youth athletic courts and fields and more.
Jennifer Hudson performs during a Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn of the White House.Alex Wong/Getty Images
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Proceeds from this year’s event will continue to support similar efforts, including the construction of a new joint facility that will house a Boys & Girls Club and a Communities In Schools Alumni Center in Las Vegas.
Shaquille says Las Vegas is “the perfect” location for the benefit, and for the probable NBA expansion.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Of the possibility of Las Vegas landing an NBA team, the basketball great says, “I would love that to happen, and I would love to be the owner of that team or part of the ownership group.”
Shaquille continues, “For one, you already have a loyal fan base. And imagine with Steph Curry coming in to play. Not only do you have the local fan base, you have all the big-time gamblers that come who want tickets and all the businesses and people that are going to the Usher and the Bruno Mars show. So that’d definitely be a great place.”
source: people.com
